Environmental Sciences

Research in the field of energetics at the ICPF takes place in the Department of Environmental Engineering. This primarily involves the development of new procedures for increasing the efficiency of thermochemical conversion of fuels with the use of new and alternative fuels and further reducing the impact on the environment. These activities are oriented in two main directions. The first includes development of new and more effective processes of flue gas treatment, effective and clean utilization of new waste-based fuels, and the search for suitable methods of processing and using solid waste from energy production. The second is the development of technologies to advance decentralized systems for the use of alternative fuels and biomass by gasification and pyrolysis and their transformation to synthesis gas of a quality suitable for the production of chemical commodities, primarily transport fuels and hydrogen.
At the institute we are also engaged with the development of materials for thermal energy storage (more in the New Materials section).

Research in the field of waste-to-energy at the ICPF is concentrated in the Department of Environmental Engineering. The department is occupied with, among other things, the energy and material recovery of waste and the recycling of waste. Efforts in energy recovery involve the safe use of various atypical wastes, the search for new methods of flue gas treatment, and the development of methods for treatment of solid residues from waste incineration such as fly ash and bottom ash for the purpose of obtaining valuable components. In the field of waste treatment and recycling, we develop methods for processing municipal waste and industrial waste such as electronic waste, plastic waste, biological waste such as food waste and sewage sludge, etc. We consider waste as a source of raw materials or energy and approach it accordingly.

Research in the field aerosols has a long tradition at the ICPF and takes place in the Department of Chemistry and Physics of Aerosols. The department is occupied with the study of the chemical and physical properties of atmospheric aerosols and determining the share of various sources.
Further topics include the behaviour of aerosols in indoor environments, kinetics of nucleation and growth, emission sampling of aerosol particles, as well as preparation of nanoparticles for inhalation experiments. The department coordinates aerosol research at the National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice and is part of the large international research structure ACTRIS (ESFRI), where we measure number concentrations and aerosol particle size distribution and determine the precise chemical composition of aerosols.

Research in the field of water purification at the ICPF is predominantly concentrated in the Department of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering. The research is focused on removal of pollutants from wastewater and industrial wastewater. This includes substances such as endocrine disruptors, organic compounds, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals. Various processes for removing such substances are tested, including adsorption, electrocoagulation, and photocatalysis. Research also focuses on combinations of these methods for comprehensive treatment of polluted water, with regard to the economics of the overall process.